In this specification, a tablet is a portable electronic device with two oppositely arranged major front and rear surfaces, a minor thickness dimension extending between the front and rear surfaces, and a screen which occupies at least most of the front surface. Typically the front and rear surfaces are substantially flat and rectangular, and the screen occupies nearly all of the front surface. Tablets typically perform the functions of a personal computing device and/or a personal communications device and/or a personal gaming device and/or a personal display device for displaying, for example, the pages of an electronic book, photographs, movies streamed over the internet, or other images. They often incorporate cameras and other functionality which can be integrated as hardware or software, e.g. by downloading and installing an app. In many such devices the screen is a touch screen. It will be understood that mobile telephones, electronic books, personal organisers and other classes of personal electronic devices may all be considered as tablets insofar as they exhibit the form factor of a tablet.
Because of their versatility and convenience, tablets have become indispensable and are carried everywhere as personal accessories. However, their generally flat and thin form factor, which is the practical consequence of minimising the size of the tablet relative to the size of the screen, gives rise to some practical difficulties for the user.
One problem is that the tablet is quite easy to drop and quite likely to break if dropped. It is therefore common to mount the tablet in a case which provides some mechanical protection for the tablet when not in use.
Another problem is that it can be difficult to view the screen when the tablet is placed on a flat surface, and tiring for the user to hold the tablet in a better viewing position. For this reason many tablet cases are arranged also to support the tablet in a viewing position.
Many tablets are designed to display images in either a landscape or a portrait orientation, which is to say, with the length dimension of the screen respectively in a horizontal or vertical attitude. To facilitate this functionality some tablet cases are arranged to support the tablet on a horizontal surface at a convenient viewing angle in either orientation.
Since the optimal viewing angle (i.e. the angle of the screen relative to a horizontal support plane) will vary depending on the relative position of the user, some tablet cases are also arranged to support the tablet at an adjustable viewing angle.
For example, WO2014089367 discloses a tablet case which provides infinite angular adjustment of the viewing angle by hingedly adjusting respective parts of the case which are retained in the selected position by cooperating magnetic elements and frictionally enhanced surfaces. The case includes a magnetic fastener which magnetically engages a corresponding rear surface of the tablet or of a back cover attached to the tablet. The back cover can alternatively be attached to a wall mount or other accessory.
US2012224323, US2008237432, US2012012483, and US2014197048 disclose folding tablet cases in which the tablet can be angularly and rotationally adjusted to a selected display position.
WO2013158058 discloses a detachable rotating mechanism for a tablet case.
EP2298424 discloses a tablet case with interchangeable trays for receiving different video game consoles.
GB2508566 and US2012300394 disclose tablet cases in which the tablet is retained in a receptacle by a lip.
It is also known from www.dodocase.com™ to manufacture a tablet case (a “Dodocase™”) comprising a tray made from bamboo for retaining the tablet and a folding cover made by traditional bookbinding techniques from boards covered by cloth or leather, wherein the receptacle is retained by magnets at a selected, infinitely adjustable viewing angle relative to the cover.
More generally, it is known to provide cases for laptops or other electronic equipment with ventilation channels as taught for example by US2010270188 and US2010110629.
The versatility of tablets means that they are used by people of all ages and backgrounds. Some users will prefer the more traditional appearance of a tablet case such as the “Dodocase™” which when closed resembles a book and completely encloses the tablet. Others will prefer the functionality of tablet cases which are configured to include interchangeable mounting systems and rotatable joints.
A common problem with all of these tablet cases is that, although such tablet cases are now so commonly used that they may be regarded as ubiquitous personal accessories, the structure and mode of manufacture of the tablet case make it difficult or expensive to adapt its appearance to suit the different tastes of different users, which is an important consideration in marketing such products.